South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) introduced a menu-based point system called the WAIRE Program to regulate warehouse owners and operators for a combination of actions. Simply put, the WAIRE Program prevents warehouse operators and owners from using equipment and energy with diesel and nitrogen emissions. Learn more about WAIRE Program and how you can comply with Rule 2305 below.
Warehouse Actions and Investments to Reduce Emissions (WAIRE) Program or Rule 2305 aims to create an eco-friendly environment in major counties such as Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Riverside County. The major purpose of this program is to regulate local and regional warehouses in Californian Counties for using environmentally friendly alternatives. These alternatives must meet the quality standards applied by SCAQMD.
South Coast AQMD introduced WAIRE Program in May 2021 to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen and other dangerous environmental emissions. A 2017 study highlighted the effect of global climate change on nitrogen in the environment. The amount of nitrogen will drastically increase, reducing breathable air. The excessive nitrogen will accumulate in the U.S. rivers, such as Mississippi-Atchafalaya River Basin, eventually fueling nitrogen pollution.
How Does the WAIRE Program Work?
The WAIRE Program regulates warehouses with 100,000 ft2 spaces in one building. 3,995 warehouse operators and 2,902 warehouse owners fall under the WAIRE compliance and reporting standards. The operators and owners might find compliance with the program challenging because they lack clean energy trucks and vehicles. They must introduce zero-emission trucks and transport refrigeration units according to their warehouse activities.
Once a warehouse facility shifts to an eco-friendly transport system, they earn WAIRE points. Moreover, they can earn points on every trip with an emissions-friendly vehicle.
The team behind South Coast AQMD understands that warehouse facilities will have to pay huge initially. Warehouse owners and operators can purchase the WAIRE Points for a mitigation fee. The fee will help reach compliance.
South Coast has one of the worst air qualities in the United States, and the WAIRE Program encourages warehouse owners and operators to reduce nitrogen emissions. SCAQMD expects to reduce 10% to 15% emissions by 2031. To comply with WAIRE Program standards and learn more about the program and its benefits click here.
How Can You Earn WAIRE Points?
South Coast AQMD regulates warehouse owners and operators to follow a menu-based point system. When choosing alternative energy generation equipment, you will get specific points yearly. You can earn points by:
- Following the combination of actions mentioned in WAIRE
- Performing activities in an approved and site-specific WAIRE Plan
- Paying a mitigation fee
SCAQMD offers savings incentives to warehouse facilities with zero-emission vehicle chargers and trucks. Moreover, getting additional points will give you extra benefits, such as transferring the points to another warehouse and saving excessive points for next year. Also, you can benefit from the WAIRE Program by paying a mitigation fee.
SCAQMD calculates the number of points, which is WAIRE Point Compliance Obligation (WPCO) with a formula. Since WPCO includes emission levels as variance, warehouse owners will need to integrate alternative energy generation equipment in warehouse facilities.
What are the Reporting Requirements for WAIRE Program?
Are you a warehouse owner or operator in South California? If yes, then you must follow these instructions to submit the WAIRE Point report:
- Create an Initial Site Information Report and deliver it to SCAQMD.
- Provide annual WAIRE Reports with energy consumption for the previous year.
- Provide basic details about the building and tenants.
What is Alternative Energy Generation Equipment?
Alternative Energy Generation Equipment produces clean energy from renewable natural resources or processes. For instance, their availability depends on the time and weather, when sunlight and wind continue to shine and blow.
Using natural power helped people before cost-effective yet harmful energy generation equipment. They used the equipment for transportation, heating, lighting, and other purposes. Many people think that renewable energy is the latest technology. Meanwhile, home and business owners have been using solar devices and wind turbines for centuries. During the last 500 years, however, people have increasingly relied on polluted and affordable energy sources such as coal and gas.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is the least harmful to the environment than other energy sources. It does not contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases and doesn’t pollute water. It also requires a small amount of water for maintenance; nuclear power plants consume approximately 20x more water than this. Solar energy production is also noiseless, a major benefit since many commercial solar installations are in urban areas.
People have been using solar energy for thousands of years to dry food, stay warm, and cultivate crops. Since energy falling to the earth in an hour can provide electricity for a year to the globe, it is an effective way to generate energy. You will need less electricity from the utility provider by generating it yourself. Moreover, it will reduce your energy bill, and you can generate profit by returning the excess electricity you have produced to the grid. You may increase the value of your green investment with available solar panel grants.
Your energy independence will rise as you create more energy and use less from the source, while helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Hydroelectric Power Equipment
Wind energy is anticipated to overtake hydropower as the country’s leading renewable energy source in the near future. Hydropower uses water to generate electricity by turning the turbine blades of a generator, often fast-moving water in a large river or quickly falling water from a high point.
Mega-dams, often known as huge hydropower facilities, are frequently regarded as nonrenewable energy sources domestically and outside. Mega-dams alter and reduce natural flows, limiting access for populations of animals and people who depend on such rivers. Carefully maintained small hydroelectric facilities, with installed capacities under around 40 megawatts, tend not to harm the environment much because they only divert a portion of the flow.
This energy generation equipment produces eco-friendly electricity and saves huge amounts of electricity from the grid. But, hydroelectric power is an expensive technique to generate electricity without using a power grid.
Wind Energy
After the latest technology and advancement, going back to wind turbines doesn’t make sense. The wide turbine blades move with the force of the high wind to charge electric generators. You can then use the generators later to utilize electricity. But, many warehouse facilities still rely on this alternative energy generation equipment.
One of the least expensive energy sources in the U.S. is wind, which generates 9.2% of the nation’s electricity. You can install wind turbines in any location with strong winds, such as on hilltops, open plains, or even in the open ocean.
How Does Coldwell Solar Help Warehouse Operators with Solar Energy Equipment?
Coldwell Solar provide solar-powered energy generation solutions for warehouses. Consult our experts to plan and execute solar energy generation transformation. We have an experienced team to create a custom warehouse plan, complying with the WAIRE Program. Here are some benefits of leveraging our commercial solar services in your warehouses.
1. Reduce Energy Bills
Costs for electricity are always rising. Typically, 15% of the overall cost of running a warehouse goes toward power. Rooftop solar equipment is 17% and 27% less expensive than industrial and commercial equipment.
Finding alternative energy sources, like solar energy, is the greatest approach to minimize your expenditures if your company consumes a lot of electricity to run equipment and interior and external lights.
2. Save Money When Power Cost Increases
In the U.S., the cost of power increased by up to 16% on average over the previous ten years. A fixed-cost alternative, such as solar energy equipment, has a 25–30 year lifespan. Your energy bills become more affordable and predictable as a result.
3. Reduce Nitrogen Emissions
Solar panels generates electricity without nitrogen emissions. With less contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, you can play your part in protecting the environment. Moreover, you can earn WAIRE points and comply with WAIRE standards. Since solar panel doesn’t produce waste products such as ash or fumes, you can protect the environment, while reducing carbon emissions. After regulations by South Coast AQMD, numerous warehouse facilities are shifting to solar panels as social responsibility. You can do the same with our commercial solar services.
4. Advanced App to Monitor ROI
Our services allow warehouse owners and operators to monitor the energy consumption of their facilities. They can view everyday energy consumption and ROI. With remote monitoring and reporting, compliance with the WAIRE Program become less challenging. You can generate reports and share them with the SCAQMD to gain WAIRE points.
Reduce Emissions With the WAIRE Program
The WAIRE Program is a regulation introduced by South Coast AQMD to eliminate nitrogen and other harmful gases from warehouses. To encourage warehouse owners and operators, they introduced the WAIRE Points system. Whenever warehouse facilities use eco-friendly solutions such as solar energy equipment or eco-friendly vehicles, they receive points.
Coldwell Solar provides solar energy solutions to warehouses allowing them to meet WAIRE Program regulations. We understand how using alternative energy generation equipment reduces nitrogen emissions. Therefore, we urge warehouses in Southern California to integrate solar-powered energy systems and contact us today.
